- CBSA says exporter shipped 2,300 cars without declarations.
- Two search warrants were executed in London, Ontario.
- Investigators found 750,000 records tied to the operation.
Everybody forgets things from time to time. Few, however, forget how to legally run a multi-million dollar export business. According to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), one man went about exporting thousands of used cars but he missed one key thing.
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He allegedly failed to submit any of the mandatory export declarations required by Canadian law. Now, he’s facing a $36.9 million (equal to around US$26.7 million at current exchange rates) fine for the oversight.
More: They Thought They Could Ship Hundreds Of Stolen Cars Worldwide And Get Away With It
According to officials, the man shipped more than 2,300 cars from Canada to West Africa over several years, all without the paperwork required by the nation’s Customs Act.
A Trail Without a Trace
CBSA investigators in Halifax, Nova Scotia, first flagged the operation back in 2021. That concern led to a multi-year probe and involvement from agencies on both sides of the border. In July of 2023, officers executed two search warrants, both in London, Ontario.
During those searches, they gathered business and financial records, vehicle titles, bills of sale, cell phones, SIM cards, and other devices. From there, authorities sifted through some 750,000 records tied to the operation.
By August of 2025, the agency issued a Notice of Ascertained Forfeiture, a legal mechanism used when the goods in question can’t be physically seized. In this case, that is likely because they’re already out of Canada.
The Price of Avoiding Paperwork
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Under sections 95 and 124 of the Customs Act, the penalty can match the full value of the exported goods, which is exactly what happened here.
“The multi-million dollar penalty attached to the outcome of this investigation sends a strong reminder to commercial exporters that they will be held accountable for not respecting mandatory reporting requirements and Canadian laws,” Dominic Mallette, regional director general of CBSA’s Atlantic Region said in the news release.
The penalty ranks as one of the largest of its kind in recent years. While the government didn’t mention anything about stolen cars, Canada has long combated issues with such vehicles ending up on boats headed to West Africa.
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